I Had This Dream
by Brandy
Summary: Josh falls asleep at his desk and has a very realistic dream


Authors Notes: Just a little ficlet that was a result of having my West Wing tapes playing in the background while I write. Sort of a post-ep to " Ellie" , but mostly just a little fun I decided to have with Josh's head.  
  
Acknowledgements: Someone wrote a fic a while back about Donna having an aversion to Hitchcock, because he had a tendency to kill off blondes in his movies…Even though the tendency is pretty well known- Donna's aversion to him is all hers…the problem is - curse my memory- I can't recall who wrote it, or the name of it. Anyway, thanks for that little part…whoever you are. If you're out there- please remind me- I hate it when I can't remember something like that!  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine ** big, fat, worthless sigh** But neither is all that lovely money that Sorkin & Co. make…  
  
Thanks: as always to Shelley, who's support and encouragement keep me smiling! This one's for you!  
  
  
  
  
  
So, I had this dream…  
  
By Brandy  
  
  
  
I had this dream. It was a really weird dream. This is what happens when I fall asleep in my office after watching old Hitchcock movies with the President and Donna. Donna was very into the movie, which surprised me a little, since she has this thing about Hitchcock's penchant for killing off blondes. Anyway, she got really engrossed in the movie, and I caught myself watching her a couple of times. It's kind of fun to watch her when she gets really involved in something. She gets these little concentration lines across her forehead, and she purses her lips in this funny little way. It's weird, I know- but I just enjoy watching her like that. Of course, at some point she usually catches me, and asks what I'm giving her the look for, and I deny it. She doesn't believe me, and I won't admit to it. It's just a little game we play.  
  
This time, however, Donna wasn't the one that caught me. This time the President was the one that caught me. He had come back into the theatre, after meeting with the Surgeon General, and he seemed to be in a far better mood than when he had left. He told me that I could tell CJ to get behind the Surgeon General for real. When I mentioned the fact that some people were going to think he did it because his daughter asked him to, he just smiled, and looked over my shoulder at Donna for a second, and then back to me.  
  
" You know Josh, I think if you ever have a daughter, you're going to discover there are worse reasons in the world to do something. Sit down- we're coming to the good part."  
  
So, I sat back down next to Donna, and finished watching the movie. The thing is, I couldn't quite get what the President said out of my head. It was really weird. I mean, I've never really thought about what it would be like to have kids. I've never discounted the idea, out of hand. There is a chance that I may one day find a woman that I'd want to settle down and have kids with. Someone who's smart and funny. Someone who knows me and knows how I feel without me having to spell everything out, cause let's face it- I'm not the best person in the world about sharing how I feel. Someone who I could have fun with, even when we're arguing about something. Where in the world would I find someone like that, though? I was mulling this over in my head, as I kicked back in my chair and propped my feet up on my desk. I just had a few more things to go over before I left, and it would really help if I could get this thing out of my head so I could go home and get some sleep…  
  
  
  
**********  
  
So, I'm returning home after a long day at the office, and the minute I walk in the door, I'm attacked at the knees by this little blonde dynamo who is calling me… "Daddy" . I look down and see that she is gazing up at me with these adoring big blue eyes and this crooked little smile. The smile, semi-toothless though it may be, really shows off these cute little dimples. She's holding up her arms, in the universal kid-gesture for "pick me up, please". So, of course, I reach down to pick her up.  
  
" I'm happy you're home, Daddy", she says and snuggles into my neck. Wow…this feels pretty nice- even if she is smearing grape jam all over the collar of my jacket. When she removes her jam smeared face from my neck, she's looking at me with this little pout and these big sad eyes, like somebody just killed her hamster. " Mommy's being so mean."  
  
" Mommy's being mean to you? How?"  
  
Because whatever I need to do to get that sad look out of her eyes, you can be assured, I'll do it right away.  
  
" She won't let me have a kitten, and I want one. My friend's cat just had kittens and one of them likes me especially." If at all possible, the pout grew more pronounced and the eyes got bigger.  
  
" Well…why won't Mommy let you have one then?"  
  
" She said that a kitten is a big 'sponsibility and that she's not sure I'm old enough for it. I am too! I'm very 'sponsible."  
  
" Well, I'm sure that after I talk to Mommy, she'll let you have the kitten. I'm sure you'll be very responsible and take good care of it."  
  
Then, just like that, it was like the sun coming out, the smile and the cute little dimples were back, and her pretty blue eyes were just sparkling.  
  
" Thank you, Daddy!"  
  
She gave me a sloppy, jam-laden kiss on the cheek and then wiggled out of my arms, running down the hall, shouting " Mommy…Mommy! Daddy said I can have my kitten!"  
  
On the heels of that, I hear Donna's voice yelling out in frustration, "Josh!"  
  
*******  
  
" Josh…Josh, wake up!"  
  
I wake up to Donna shaking me and yelling my name. I open my eyes and look at her, and almost turn to look for the little girl that was talking to me about the kitten she wanted and calling me … Daddy? Okay- I was dreaming. It sure did seem real though.  
  
" Come on, Josh. If you're just going to fall asleep at your desk, don't you think I could leave? I would really like to go home, and sleep in an actual bed, at a semi-decent hour."  
  
I look up, and Donna's got this pout on her face, and there's something about that pout that looks vaguely familiar. I know I've seen it on Donna before- it's not that. I've seen it somewhere else. Strange, huh?  
  
" Fine…let's go."  
  
Instantly she brightens, and I see that big smile, and the sparkle's back in her eyes. Funny how that happens whenever she gets her way…  
  
" You really shouldn't fall asleep at you desk, you know."  
  
" What? Why?"  
  
" You're starting to mumble things in your sleep."  
  
" Like what?"  
  
" I don't know- I wasn't standing there listening or anything. I just heard you mumbling. Something about kittens…" Donna said, and walked off, leaving me standing there, speechless.  
  
She's right. I shouldn't fall asleep at my desk. Especially after I ponder off-hand remarks that the President makes. That's a really bad combination.  
  
Still…that pout really did look familiar…  
  
The End 


End file.
